Telephone coin collector



Patented July 21 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE i TELEPHONE COIN COLLECTOR V Stanley T. Curran, Mountain'Lakes, N. J., assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York 7 V 7 Application August 31, 1935, Serial No. 38,700

{m 4 Claims. (01. 194-97) This invention relates to telephone coin col- :lectors and has for its primary object to pro- .vide a simpler and more economical construction ,of certain parts of the apparatus.

5:5 In theusual type of telephone coin collector ,as disclosed, for example, in the U. S. patent to O. F. Forsberg 1,043,219, the upper housing is provided with a laterally inclined coin chute having a plurality of coin channels adapted to be traversed by standard coins of difierent sizes for striking gongs or bells mounted within the housing. The lower side wall of each channel is i usually provided with an under-diameter reject opening for discharging from. the coin channel 215 coins or slugs of less than standard diameter. ;It is desirable that such non-standard coins .be returned immediately to the person who deposited them and one aspect of this invention is concerned with an improved type of return '20 chute for non-standard coins arranged to re- ..ceive all non-standard coins discharged from i the coin chute and. to minimize the possibility j of a non-standard coin getting stuck in the return chute while still preventing any coin dis- 125-charged from said coin chute from striking the gongs or other signaling devices. The inven- ,;tion is concerned with that part of the nonstandard coin return chute located within the upper housing as the portion of the return chute :30 in the lower housing may be substantially of the same type as disclosed in the above-men- ;tioned Forsberg patent. Another aspect of the invention is concerned with the provision of a cup-shaped recess registering with an aperture 35.in the front wall of the housing for receiving the dial customarily used in machine switching substation equipment.

In its preferred embodiment the invention comprises a single metal sheet formed to a defi- 40. nite configuration and arranged to be mounted between the main coin chute and the front wall "of the upper housing. The sheet comprises a longitudinally and laterally inclined chute section for receiving non-standard coins dist'.45"'charged from the main chute and for directing such coins towards a side Wall of the upper housing. Joining the longitudinally inclined chute portion is another section of the sheet forming a substantially vertical coin channel 50' comprising a side Wall with end walls contacting with the adjacent side wall of the coin colilector housing. This vertical section may serve are direct the coins into the standard refund I chute in the lower housing which has a re- 2155: fund opening in the front wall thereof as in the standard collector. The bend in the metal which marks the junction of the bottoni wall of the longitudinally inclined chute section and the side wall of the vertical section is preferably sharply defined with the axis of this bend .515 sloping downwardly towards the front wall of the upper housing for a purpose hereinafter described. V a g The aforesaid metal sheet also has an extension acting as a gong guard to prevent any re- 1) jeoted coin from striking the signal device located at one edge of the main coin chute. The upper portion of the said metal sheet maybe provided with a cup-shaped recess adapted to register with an opening in the front Wall of the housing to provide a holder for a telephone dial signaling device.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. l is a rear view of the upper housing of a telephone coin' collector; 1 I I .20

, Fig. 2 is a side view-partly in section of the coin collector of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of theupper housing of Fig. 1 similar thereto except 'viewed from a different angle.

The telephone coin collector disclosed in the drawing is of the same general type as that 'disclosed in the O. F. 'Forsberg'U. S. Patent 1,043,219, issued November 5, 1912, to which reference may be made for a more detailed tie-{3O scription of its manner of operation. A legitimate coin deposited in an opening in a coin gauge I'll falls through a'mul'ti-co'in chute [I striking either gong l6 orbell I1 and comes temporarily to restupon 'a pivoted com trapin 53.5 a coin hopper l2 from whichfunder the control of a relay l3the coin may be deposited in'to' a cash box in the lower' housing or may be discharged into a refund chute [4 leading to an external refund opening 15. In the event that :40 a non-standard coin s uchas an under-diameter coin, for'example, is deposited in gauge [0 the usual coin chute H has means for ejecting such coins before they have reached the signaling elements l6, lland it is desirablethat-such non-standardcoins be returned to the user of j the instrument by means of refund opening I5. -As in the standard coin collector the main coin all figures of the drawing, but particularly Fig. 3. Z

' 5 from striking thesignalbelll].

' '10 with the adjacent channel plate or the main chute This chute portion is longitudinally in-" clined to direct all ejected coins. and slugsi towards said wall of the housing; Since the majority'of the ejectedlcoins' will slide down chute'portion it is preferable to have an em- Vbossed ridge 23 on the upper surface thereof to reduce the area of coin contact with incline 20." Slide 20 terminates in a substantially vertical V chute portion comprising alrear wall 24 with side 2'0 walls 25, 26 fastened to the inner face of hous- "side wall 22 by means ofsuitable tabs 21 whichimay be welded to; the collector housing. The outletpf chute portion- 24 directs the nonstandard coins into the upper part of; refund eehute flin the lower housing to return such coins to the person who deposited them. 7' 7 Since it is preferable that the distance between thevertical chute wall '24 and the housing wall 22 be less than the diameterfof the usual ejected 'coins 'it'isdesirable to have the bend 28' in the metal sheet 19 joi n the-chute sections 20, 24 'define a' line which slopes downwardly towards i V the front wall l'8' of the housing: 'I-Ience, anycoin "which happens to roll on its edge down incline 20 will not stick when its forwardedge strikes the housing side wall 22 but will start spinning along the inclined edge 28 until 'thecoin strikes the upturned wall 29 of the chute whereupon the "coin will be turned soas to freely enterthe ver- Integr 1 with the tea mates 'of'the refund chute is a gong guard comprising a substantially vertical portion 30 and 'an upper angular portion 3 I for preventing any coin rejected by chute 'II f tical chute portion 24.

V 'I'heiupperportion'o'f metalsheet lil'has formed 'thereina .cupeshapederecesse 33 registering with an aperture 36 in theflfront wall of the collector, housing to serve as a housing for-the calling dial 5 3'4; controlled by the ringer plate 35.

If desiredpne' of thetabs '38 for fastening chute V portionf24 in position may comprise an angular 7 projection or lug'39 for use in, coupling the upper 'andlower housings together 'in the well-known mann'err V V V i It will also'be generally preferable to provide another vertical extensionlllo'f the formed metal e f sheet l 9 teeet as a support for the dial cord (not 1 shown) which passes through aperture H in the side wall; of cup 33 overthe top edge of extension 1 40 and. theni dowriwardly between extension 40 h jand the housing side wen- 4 27 to ;the lower part or. the collector. This extension 40 holds the dial 'cer'd; aw y front thereturn chute 20 and pre- 1 ventsjrejected coins from lodging between the co'rdfand thechute. This extension 40 also acts as 'a shield to prevent fraudulent operatiQI of V ;relay;l3 by a wire inserted through'the dial cord holejl when no dial is assembled onthelcoin collector. ShieldJQ, is somewhat rounded when i 3 viewed in a section taken inlla horizontal plane Vwith its: vertical edge 43 insubstantial contact with the ,housing side wall.

1 ,Itjwill, be seen; that thejsinglelmetal sheet I9 wcoins. l V e V i i r 4. In a telephone coin collector, an uppcr'hous-" has one portion serving as a dial cup, other portions 20, 24 serving as a refund chute, and another portion 30 serving as a gong guard. It will be apparent thatthe chute l9 may be formed into,

the configuration shown in the drawings by any 5 well-known methods andethenvwelded to the inside of the upper housing. I8 at appropriate points. For example, it may be welded to the housing front'wall 18 around the flattened edge ,of the dial cup 33, with tabs 21, 28 and 44 welded '10 to the housing side wall 22 and tab 45 welded to housing sidewall 42.

What is claimed is: a 1. Ina telephone coin collector rhousing, a.

main coin channel comprising means for dis l6 charging non standard coins therefrom, a signal I 7 device within said housing adapted'to be struck i1 by standard coins traversing said channel and a sheet of metal supported withinsaid housing,- oneiportion of said sheet providing a shield to 10 "prevent coins discharged from said-channel from "striking said device, a second portion'of said .J;

sheet providing a longitudinally inclined 'chute section for saidedischarged coins, and a thirdpdrtion of said sheet joining the lower end or said second portion providing a substantially vertical refund chute. section for said discharged coins, I..- the bend in said sheet-joining the" bottom wall'of u,,, said longitudinally inclined section and a side wall of said vertical section being sharply 'de-' 30 'fined, the axis of said bend slopingdowiiwardly "away from said main channel.

2. In a telephone 'coin collector housing, a i mai'ncoinfchannel having means for discharging hon-standard coins therefrom',1a'signaling device Q mounted within said housing adapted to struck by standard coins traversing said channel, said-housing having an aperture inithe front Wall thereofand a single sheet of 'm'etalfhaving' one portionfjformed to provideat least-a partial '40 closure for said aperture, said sheet having another portion formed into a longitudinally inclined chute section for receiving said discharged.

'non standard g coins, said sheet having another portion shielding-i"; said device from said 'dis- 45 A charged coins 1 e ;3-. In a: telephone/coin collector housing; a L main coin channel having *means for discharging Y non-standard coins therefrom, a signaling'device 'mounted within "said housing 'adapt'edto be 7 struck by standard coins traversing said chane' nel, said housing having an aperture inithe front Wall thereof'and' a single sheet of "r'netal having one portio'n formed'to provide'atleast' a partial closure forsaid aperture,- said s'heet having another portion form'edfintoa longitudinally inclinedchuteysection for'ireceiving said "dis- "charged non-standardxcoins, said sheet having 7 another portion formed a substantiallyvertical chute section joined to saidelon'gitudinally inclinedsectiom'said sheet having another porf tion shieldi; g saidfdevi'cefrom saiddischarged inggcomprisingparallel side walls and a front wall, a main coin-channeliin Said housing com- 7 prising means for discharging" non-standard 7 coins therefrom, azsignalingdevice mounted adjacent oneside walllofsaid=housing and adapted to' be. struck :by standard coins traversing said channeLsaid housing having an aperture in said ,front wall, and a. single sheet of metalhaving one portion. formed to provideat least a partial,

closure. for :said aperture, "said sheet having as second portion formed to provide a laterally and longitudinally inclined coin chute section for coins discharged from said coin channel, said chute section having a bottom wall of a Width greater than the maximum diameter of any discharged coin, said bottom wall sloping downwardly away from said main channel, a ridge on the coin receiving face of said bottom wall extending longitudinally of said bottom wall, a

10 third portion of said sheet extending below said second portion forming with a portion of a side wall of said housing a substantially vertical chute section for said discharged coins, a fourth portion of said sheet shielding said device from said discharged coins, the lower edge of said shield portion forming with said bottom wall a coin opening of increasing size in a direction away from said main channel. 

